LIPOBLASTOMA OF THE SUBLINGUAL REGION IN A 2-YEAR-OLD MALE CHILD: A RARE PEDIATRIC CASE REPORT

Abstract

Lipoblastoma is a rare benign tumor of embryonal fat that occurs mainly in infants and very young children. Involvement of the oral cavity is uncommon, and sublingual lesions are particularly rare, which can make clinical diagnosis challenging. We report a 2-year-old male child who presented with a sublingual swelling of 6 months’ duration. The lesion was painless and not associated with feeding, speech difficulty, or other systemic symptoms. An excised grey-white soft tissue mass measuring 5.0x2.4x0.7 cm showed a congested external surface and homogeneous grey-white cut surface. Histologically, the tumor was encapsulated and well circumscribed, with a lobular architecture separated by fibrovascular septae. The lobules were composed of sheets of mature adipocytes admixed with primitive stellate to spindle-shaped cells in a myxoid stroma, along with a delicate chicken-wire capillary network and occasional uni- and multivacuolated lipoblasts. A clear zonal pattern was seen, with immature myxoid cells at the periphery near the septae and mature adipocytes at the center of the lobules. Immunohistochemistry showed positivity for S100 and CD34, supporting the diagnosis of lipoblastoma.This case illustrates a rare sublingual lipoblastoma in a very young child, with classic histomorphological features and supportive immunoprofile. Awareness of this entity in unusual oral sites is important to avoid misdiagnosis as lipoma, myxoid liposarcoma, or other myxoid lesions. Complete surgical excision and regular follow-up are recommended, as prognosis is excellent and recurrence is mainly related to incomplete removal rather than malignant behavior.